Spaceflight Now: STS-92 Mission Report

Bad weather on both U.S. coasts keeps Discovery aloft
BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
SPACEFLIGHT NOW

Posted: October 23, 2000

  Edwards
The cloudy skies over Edwards Air Force Base earlier in the day. The 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft that will ferry Discovery back to Florida can be seen in the foreground. Photo: NASA TV/Spaceflight Now
 
It was tough getting the oft-delayed shuttle Discovery off the ground and it's proving just as tough to get it back down.

Already running 24 hours late because of high crosswinds at the Kennedy Space Center, Discovery's astronauts were forced to pass up Florida again today before enduring three unsuccessful attempts to land in California.

"The radar returns now indicate rain is in multiple quadrants, the STA (shuttle training aircraft) has seen some ice overhead the field and the overall weather pattern is degrading pretty significantly," astronaut Dominic Gorie from mission control shortly before 5:30 p.m. "So we're going to have to wave off this attempt as well.

"We've asked a whole lot of your great crew today and you came through with another fine performance and we're just going to have to ask you to do that again tomorrow. So we're going to pick it up with the deorbit prep backout procedure."

"OK, we'll get it out," replied commander Brian Duffy.

It was a disappointing end to a grueling day for Duffy and pilot Pamela Melroy who repeatedly configured and reconfigured Discovery's flight computers and landing systems in hopes of bringing their otherwise successful space station assembly mission to a close.

But it was not to be.

Discovery's initial attempt to land in Florida on Sunday was blocked by crosswinds gusting to nearly 20 mph from a high pressure system over the East Coast. NASA's daylight end-of-mission flight rules limit crosswinds to just 15 knots.

It was even worse today in Florida, with crosswinds gusting to 24 knots by 10:30 a.m. Duffy and company were told to ignore their first landing opportunity, which would have resulted in a 2:51 p.m. touchdown at Kennedy, and to prepare instead for the first of three back-to-back shots at Edwards.

But Edwards had its own problems, primarily a low deck of broken clouds at 6,000 feet that violated a flight rule requiring generally clear sky below 8,000 feet.

As a result, the crew skipped the first California landing opportunity and then a second one orbit later when rain showers approached the air base.

Finally, a few minutes before 5:30 p.m., entry flight director Leroy Cain decided to call off today's attempt altogether and to refocus on landing Tuesday.

The forecast calls for good conditions at Edwards, with scattered clouds and light winds. But the outlook is worse in Florida, with more high crosswinds expected, low clouds and rain showers within 30 nautical miles.

Discovery has enough food, water, fuel, electrical power and carbon dioxide absorbent to stay in orbit until Wednesday if absolutely necessary.

But given Tuesday's forecast at Edwards, it appears more likely Duffy and company will break NASA's string of 23 straight Florida landings and head for California instead. The last time a shuttle landed at Edwards was March 31, 1996.

NASA managers wanted to get Discovery back on the ground in Florida if at all possible to avoid delays preparing the ship for its next flight.

Discovery is scheduled for launch Feb. 15 to ferry the international space station's second full-time crew to the lab complex. The station's first crew, scheduled for launch in just eight days, will return to Earth aboard Discovery.

California landings add 10 days or more to a shuttle's turnaround time and cost NASA about $1 million.

Ground track
See the path Discovery would follow during landing opportunities Tuesday in our STS-92 Landing Tracker.

KSC Orbit 201 - touchdown in Florida at 1928 GMT.

EAFB Orbit 202 - touchdown in California at 2059 GMT.

EAFB Orbit 203 - touchdown in California at 2235 GMT.


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